Overview

• Warm, dry weather in early 2025 accelerated wasp brood rearing, sending worker wasps onto balconies and breakfast tables ahead of schedule.
• Stephan Härtel and Derk Ehlert of Nabu attribute the population boom to high queen production in 2024 and plentiful food sources this year.
• Residents in Berlin are encountering predominantly common and German wasps, which serve as natural pest controllers and prey for hornets.
• In Saxony, wasp activity around tables and ice cream stands remains within normal mid-summer levels, with recent rain slowing their development.
• German conservation laws protect wasps as beneficial insects and penalize harmful actions, prompting households to rely on nonlethal deterrents such as water misting and scent barriers.